archbishop

noun

arch·​bish·​op (ˌ)ärch-ˈbi-shəp How to pronounce archbishop (audio)
: a bishop at the head of an ecclesiastical province or one of equivalent honorary rank

Examples of archbishop in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web As is the case for leaders of the Catholic Church nationwide, the next archbishop's plate would be full. Sophie Carson, Journal Sentinel, 12 Mar. 2024 The bishops and archbishops appointed by John Paul and his successor, Benedict XVI, took on the role of traditionalist culture warriors. Paul Elie, The New Yorker, 8 Nov. 2023 Tutu talked about his role as the first black African archbishop of Cape Town and presided over a Sunday service accompanied by the choir. Georgina Cruz, Miami Herald, 30 Jan. 2024 The investigative findings released in 2020 pinned much of the blame on Pope John Paul II, who appointed McCarrick archbishop of Washington, D.C., despite having commissioned an inquiry that confirmed McCarrick slept with seminarians. Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 10 Jan. 2024 An archbishop ordered Mitla destroyed in 1553, and the stone blocks and other rubble were used to build various Spanish Catholic churches, most notably the Church of San Pablo, built right on top of part of the ruins. Jennifer Ouellette, Ars Technica, 5 July 2023 Fortress Hohensalzburg, Austria The archbishops of Salzburg built Festung Hohensalzburg, one of Europe's largest medieval castles, in the period of the Holy Roman Empire. Steven Casale, Travel + Leisure, 31 Jan. 2024 The archbishop said bankruptcy would cover only the corporate legal entity, the Catholic Archbishop of San Francisco, and not its 88 parishes and schools, which are independently managed and will continue to operate as usual. Paulina Villegas, Washington Post, 22 Aug. 2023 Caught in the middle is the archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby — the top bishop of the Church of England and ceremonial leader of the Anglican Communion. David Crary, Twin Cities, 7 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'archbishop.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Old English arcebiscop, from Late Latin archiepiscopus, from Late Greek archiepiskopos, from archi- + episkopos bishop — more at bishop

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of archbishop was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near archbishop

Cite this Entry

“Archbishop.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/archbishop. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

archbishop

noun
arch·​bish·​op (ˈ)ärch-ˈbish-əp How to pronounce archbishop (audio)
: the bishop of highest rank in a group of dioceses
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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